


I Will

by bestkindofbadsomething



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Cheating, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Mutual Pining, Song-Based One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:13:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18542035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestkindofbadsomething/pseuds/bestkindofbadsomething
Summary: " A thousand miles a minute standing still, my every move your good looks could kill, if you're not gonna do something stupid, oh well, I will. "I Will - Hedley





	I Will

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while...

It wasn't until she had the outline already finished that Evie realized the design that she had been sewing into the arm of the new shirt she had been working on was Mal's. Though she definitely hadn't meant to, she wasn't entirely surprised that it had happened, not really.

            Lately, Mal had been all she could really think about. She had been noticing certain changes over the past year. Her eyes, which had once simply been green to her, were now a lighter sea-green that Evie could get lost in within a second, distracted by trying to count each and every fleck of gold inside of them; her laugh, which used to simply be her friend's laugh, was now a melodic sound that made Evie feel lighter, her chest shifting whenever Mal laughed enough to snort, the way her nose scrunched a tug on Evie's soul; her smile, which had once been a welcoming sight solely because it had rarely happened when they had first met was now the brightest, most beautiful sight Evie swore she had ever seen. It was little shifts like those, in the way Evie viewed and reacted to Mal, that had her unable to stop thinking about the girl, even when she was missing from her side.

            But the most difficult thing to keep her mind from lingering too long over was the unanswered question of what Mal was doing whenever she disappeared with her boyfriend. And, apparently, the more she couldn't get her mind off of the idea of them together, the more she worried about how things might be going with their relationship, she absent-mindedly sewed Mal's design into her projects.

            Sighing, Evie stopped her machine and studied the shirt, its coloring a mixture of pinks and grays that she believed she could convince Mal would look amazing on her; she didn't want to scrap yet another project just because she couldn't seem to focus. So, after deciding it was small enough to fit the lithe girl's torso, she swapped the white thread for black and began working on filling one half of the double-dragon heart that was Mal's signature symbol.

            Still, Mal never left her head, the knowledge that she was currently out with Ben as she sat at her table sewing the symbol into a shirt that hadn't even been meant for the girl in the first place bothering her immensely. At first, it had merely been jealousy she felt whenever Mal was with Ben, but ever since Ben had mentioned how happy they were together and that he thought he had already found his future Queen, Evie had quickly grown unsettled every time she saw or thought of them together. Something was out of place, but Evie never seemed able to decipher what that was, and she always ended up pushing it from her mind when she and Mal remained awake late into the night, talking and teasing as only they did.

            It was more than likely just an increased amount of jealousy with the idea of Mal and Ben being forever, and realizing how ridiculous she was being made her wonder what Mal would say if she learned about everything that went on inside Evie's head. Would she take the revelation as though it made no difference in their friendship? Would she tell Evie she had gone insane for falling in love with her? Part of her knew it was the first one, but worry would always creep up on her and tell her that she was fooling herself if she believed that.

            "It's beautiful," Mal spoke suddenly, voice quiet.

            Despite having not known she was there, Evie didn't flinch, instead finding comfort in the fact that Mal was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder at the double-dragon heart as it took its form. Evie didn't turn to look at her or even shift to send a glance over her shoulder, she simply smiled at the shape the thread was creating.

            "How long have you been standing there?" Evie asked softly, keeping her gaze on the needle to make sure everything continued moving smoothly.

            "About two minutes, maybe," Mal answered as she stepped closer, her hands coming to rest on the back of the chair Evie sat in. "You didn't seem to hear the door open, so I thought I'd see what had your attention so undividedly."

            Evie hummed, leaning closer to the machine as she carefully moved the fabric of the shirt. When she went to sit back again, her shoulder-blades connected with Mal's hands instead of the chair-back, but when she shifted forward and made to apologize, Mal had already muttered that it was fine for her to lean against her hands, so she settled back as Mal spoke softly behind her.

            "Why did you choose pink?"

            Evie cleared her throat. "Because you look beautiful in pink."

            She could feel Mal's gaze, but she didn't decide to meet it until fingers reached to delicately caress the back of her head; the feeling had her turning off her machine in a heartbeat. Tilting her head backward, she rested it on the bridge of the back of the chair to look into Mal's eyes, the angle the slightest bit awkward but not entirely uncomfortable; even if it was uncomfortable, she would more than likely still do it just to look into those sea-green eyes she adored. However, the very second that she saw the emotion swirling through those eyes, she knew that something was upsetting Mal, and the sight had her feeling nauseous.

            Before she even said anything, she knew that Mal had already noticed the shift in her demeanor by the way she inhaled harshly, seemingly preparing herself for what was to come. So, instead of asking her if something was wrong, she reshaped her words. "Do you need to talk about it?"

            Mal released a heavy breath that Evie felt slide over her forehead, shifting her gaze to something across the room as she brought her hands to grip Evie's shoulders gently. She appeared almost pained, unsure. "I… I'm not sure I know how."

            "Something you don't quite understand yourself?" Evie already knew exactly what Mal was feeling.

            "Something like that."

            Accepting that Mal would either come to her when she had gotten through the blockade keeping her from understanding her own feelings or figure everything out for herself and not need her, Evie left the conversation on the topic where it was. Lifting her head, she brought her attention back to the shirt she was supposed to be finishing tonight - though that was only a self-imposed deadline, it wasn't like anyone had placed it as an order - letting the quiet settle over them peacefully.

            It wasn't long before Mal's hand had found its way back to Evie's hair, pale fingers threading through the dark-blue strands again and again, gracefully, like it was a sport Mal had practiced to the point of mastery. _Distraction._ Her mind taunted her as her hand immediately fell away from the switch on the machine. _Distraction_. Again, as her head fell back, as she leaned into Mal's touch as her fingers glided over to the hair at her temple. She was probably being obvious, she supposed, but the two of them had always been this way - the caresses, the hand-holding, the delicate forehead and cheek kisses - still, she worried that one day she'd get lost enough in Mal's touch that she'd realize that it's not strictly platonic on Evie's end of the spectrum.

            Then, Mal said something, just one word - a name, more so - her voice barely more than a whisper, before she leaned her chin down against the top of Evie's head.

            "Ben."

            And somehow, Evie understood everything.

            On this day last year, Ben had officially asked Mal to become his girlfriend, and Mal had been as ecstatic as she ever got when accepting, but now… The answer to that was obvious due to the way Mal had spoken his name, due to the look in her eyes, because Evie knew her too well to not take every small detail and piece them together to decipher what was hidden beneath, in between, everywhere; even if it took her longer than it should, she always figured everything out. Something had gone wrong with them, possibly Ben had overdone their anniversary - _that sounds like Ben_ \- and as much as Evie wanted to be delighted about it, the thought of Mal's heart breaking after she had argued for years that it would never happen to her was one that Evie couldn't stand.

            Reaching behind her, she located Mal's left hand - the one that wasn't tangled in her hair - laced their fingers together and rested their joined hands against her shoulder, leaning her cheek against the back of her own hand. She was ready to hear everything Mal had to say, to listen intently and do her best to reassure her that things would all work out in the end, that she just had to give it time and trust Ben.

            But she couldn't help remembering that the moment Mal had returned to their room to announce that she was officially the Lady of the Court was the same moment that Evie had realized there was something more to her love and adoration for Mal. It had taken Mal sliding out of her reach for her to notice the shift in her feelings, and she guessed it was amusing that she hadn't realized just how much she wanted Mal until she couldn't have her, but it wasn't something she laughed about. And it was because of her inability to block the voice that had brought up the way she had felt in that moment a year ago that had her steadily growing more perturbed with the idea of spending another night discussing Ben.

            She would, though. For Mal.

            So, she squeezed Mal's hand, silently letting her know that she could continue, if she wanted to, swallowing down her own thoughts and feelings, even as that nagging sensation that something was seriously wrong reappeared.

            "I don't know…" Mal breathed out, sounding more hesitant than uncertain - that phrase was certainly something she said a lot these days. "Do you ever just… question everything even though you know you shouldn't because you're being forced into something that you're not sure you're ready for?"

            _Meaning?_ She couldn't help but think; _Your feelings for our benevolent King?_ Though she never would wish them apart simply for her own benefit, nothing could stop that smallest sliver from hoping. However, Mal tended to overthink just about everything, and she had done so multiple times regarding her relationship with Ben already, always ending up resolving her fears and returning to his side happily. Evie had learned to let her go through every phase of panic until she reached her final decision herself pretty quickly into knowing her, having figured it out even before they had become friends - when Mal had wanted her to disappear - but Ben always seemed to be more certain about Mal's thoughts and feelings than Mal was herself, and often decided things for her, swearing that he knew what she wanted. Evie had always wondered when that would become an issue between the two of them, and it would seem that today would be that day.

            "Is it something big?" Evie asked.

            Mal pulled away from her to slide into the chair beside the one Evie occupied, a sigh escaping her as she answered, " _huge_ ," she confirmed.

            "Then, maybe you should take some time to figure out if it's something you want without having the decision made for you, or talk to him about how you're feeling."

            "You make it sound easy."

            "Should it be difficult to discuss your feelings with the one who loves you?"

            "I don't know."

            Evie did. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that the changes she had been experiencing were desire and love in their actual forms, unlike every time before she had believed that what she was feeling was love; and even though time had passed and many things had changed, how she felt had never faded. Everything with Mal, the ease of the good moments and the challenge of the bad ones, was still worth both her time and her effort. Nothing had changed. She could talk about nearly anything with Mal, it's just that she couldn't bring herself to tell her how she really felt, because it would only do damage so long as she was with Ben. She hadn't truly panicked about not getting the chance to ever tell her until she had been faced with the all to real possibility of Mal and Ben being forever, now, she wasn't sure she should worry, not with the uncertainty and fear in Mal's voice as she spoke of him, something he had done. But even if whatever he had done brought about the end of their relationship, Evie didn't think it would be wise to bombard Mal with the information, so she had decided long ago that she would keep playing things with a casual calm until she was certain that Mal was ready to hear what she had to say.

            But it now seemed that something else had taken the reigns of her fear, something far stronger: the idea that she was being given a slice of what it felt like to even dream of a proper chance, only to have it ripped through the gaps of her fingers when Mal figured everything out again and found her way back to Ben. And suddenly, she found herself wanting to tell Mal everything, despite Ben.

            Closing her eyes, she released the heaviest breath she dared to, knowing that any shift in her demeanor might tip Mal off to the mess occurring inside of her. _I'll be fine,_ she told herself; _no matter what happens._ But she couldn't quite convince herself. She wasn't reassured by her own words this time, because she had been through this one too many times, it would seem, and she was tiring from always being the one to help the two find their way back to each other when what she truly wanted remained buried in the depths of the things she had been lying about. She couldn't keep claiming that she could talk to Mal about anything if her plan to tell her that she loved her was based on whether her current relationship failed or not.

            Maybe it was time for her to finally admit things to herself, and to stop trying to see to other people's happiness over her own.

            Still, she would stop at nothing to see Mal into higher spirits, and if that meant fixing her fear and reconsideration of being with Ben, then she knew that she would do it every time it was needed.

            When she turned to face Mal, though, she felt as though everything was racing - her heart, her mind, the earth. She found herself losing the words burning her mouth as she found Mal's eyes with her own, the golden flecks begging to be counted; and the longer she was caught, the longer she forgot to say the words that would surely solve everything, the more her mind and the words bubbling inside of her changed.

            Then, she was leaning forward, reaching out for Mal's hand. "Let's go out. Do something. Get your mind off of whatever is troubling you."

            It was a horrendously idiotic thing to do - to decide to distract Mal from her issues instead of help her find her way to the solution, especially since she could feel herself growing more and more destructive with the need to take advantage of the well between Mal and Ben by offering herself as an option to Mal. But did she really care? She didn't believe she did, not with the way Mal gripped her hand tighter and the green in her eyes brightened with the smallest hint of a sparkle Evie hadn't seen present in them for months. _Maybe, it's not such a terrible idea._ But now, she knew that even if it was, she wouldn't care; she would do it again and again just to see that spark.

_If I told you a secret_

_Would you tell the whole world that I'm losing my mind?_

_Because I think that I just fell in love with you girl_

_It's the same time as last year, and the colors never fade_

_And I lie to myself like the first time I told you I'm not afraid_

_A thousand miles a minute standing still_

_My every move your good looks could kill_

_If you're not going to do something stupid_

_Oh, well, I will_

            Never taking her gaze from Evie's, almost as if she were in a trance, Mal got to her feet when Evie did, nodding her head just the slightest bit to show her approval of Evie's plan, her hand still in Evie's as they moved toward the door. Evie didn't even think about grabbing herself a jacket as she opened the door to their dorm and led Mal through the hallway by hand. Mal followed her without ever questioning where she was taking her, and that bothered Evie, so once they were outside the building, she stopped, turned to face her and took Mal's other hand in hers, asking her something she somehow knew she hadn't been asked in a long while.

            "Where do you want to go?"

            As she had expected, Mal appeared startled. "I don't know."

            There were those words again, the ones that often made Mal appear as though she didn't have her own mind, like she had been trained to simply go along with the rest of the world without ever voicing her own opinions. But Evie wouldn't stand for that, she wanted the Mal she had met back with her, she wanted _her_ Mal, the stubborn, hot-headed and protective girl she had always admired.

            However, despite her answer, it seemed that Mal actually did know, because before Evie could say anything else, Mal was the one pulling her along. And Evie let herself be led, even when that meant following Mal through the woods this late at night, which, quite honestly, was something she would never do if she weren't so determined to help Mal get her mind off everything that was bothering her for at least one night. She wasn't the biggest fan of the woods during the day, so she especially wasn't all too thrilled about venturing through them with only moonlight to see by.

            In response to her fear, she tightened her grip around Mal's hand, but when Mal shifted to glance over her shoulder at her, she found that fear dissipating. _I'd follow you anywhere, M,_ she pretended she were saying the words out loud; _even the dark forest when it's freezing._ And, as if her mind had been trying to bring it to her attention so she could focus on it and suffer, Evie noticed then that she hadn't taken the time to adorn a jacket for their late-night trip, leaving her skin protesting at the cold now sinking in. She was surprised that Mal wasn't saying anything about her lack of layers, considering that Evie never failed to remind Mal about needing a coat before teasing her for not bringing one when she inevitably mentioned she was getting cold. Maybe she hadn't noticed, or maybe she just didn't want to play that game with her right now, either was fine with Evie, especially since she was currently berating herself for being so distracted that she forgot to grab at least a shawl to keep her somewhat warm.

            However, when they broke through the foliage of the trees to step into a beautiful meadow, everything else but the sight before her left her mind - that is, until she set her gaze on the girl standing just the slightest bit ahead of her, their hands still intertwined, as though neither of them knew how to let go, and her world shifted around her.

            She could only see her in profile in that moment, but Evie didn't think she would change a single thing about it even if she could. Her long eyelashes fell and rose as she blinked, the moonlight shining in the area of her eye that Evie could see, making her wish that she could see them fully, to experience the undoubtedly beautiful vision of sea-green eyes glinting with not only the moonlight but the joy she knew now coursed through Mal. And her lips were curled with a soft smile of admiration, lifting Evie's spirits. She soon forgot about everything that had happened in their lives that had led to this moment; she forgot about the Isle, she forgot about coming to Auradon and choosing good over evil, she forgot about her classes, she forgot about Ben - right now, it was solely Mal, and how at ease she seemed.

            Then, Mal turned to her.

            And it was just the two of them in this meadow near midnight, and Evie didn't even mind that they would have to attend classes in the morning with little sleep, because all she cared about was the way Mal was looking at her. Her eyes were shining with an adoration even stronger than what she had seen just seconds earlier as she stared at the field and its small complimentary pond, her smile reaching her eyes effortlessly, bringing her cheek dimples to full display, and her stance was one of surety that she hadn't held for as long as Evie could remember. _Does being with Ben really break her down that much?_ She had never wondered about it before, but now, she couldn't do anything but. It had been months ago - probably around seven or eight, if Evie had to guess - when Mal's demeanor had begun changing so drastically; and if she thought about what had changed during that time, she was left only with the increased amount of cameras following her around and the various events that Mal had no say in whether or not she participated in and how she got to act during them.

            "Being the King's perfect princess isn't so easy for you, is it?" Evie asked delicately, despite not wanting to bring the issue back to discussion. She hadn't been capable of stopping the question from spilling from her lips.

            But now it all made sense to her. The reason she had grown so sickened by the thought of her best friend being with Ben was because Mal had been changing herself, who she was, because she felt she had no choice but to, for the cameras, for the former King and his wife, for Ben. No one wanted a stubborn and feisty girl taking up the seat beside their benevolent King, especially not when she came from the Isle of the Lost - they'd see her as nothing more than the child of a villain who couldn't learn manners because of where she was raised. So, steadily, as her spirit cracked, Mal had begun giving them all what they wanted, sacrificing her own personality and her own happiness in order to do so. And the fact that Ben had never seen this or tried to do anything about it sickened Evie. And the reason why she hadn't noticed it sooner was because, with her, Mal had always relaxed and returned to her own ways, like she had just now. For Evie, she was still Mal, just as amazing and beautiful as she had always been, not needing or caring about being the poster-girl for the 'perfect princess'; the girl Evie had fallen in love with and wanted back, not just because she wished their friendship to become something more but simply just because she wanted her friend to be herself and to feel comfortable with doing so.

            And, if she were to judge, that wasn't a reality for Mal right now. She was playing a girl she had despised all her life to please her boyfriend and the critics, the only times she ever had a gleam in her eyes being when she was with Evie. Evie thought that said a lot without any confessions.

            That being said, and with her anger for the situation rising, she decided that maybe - just maybe - showing Mal that she didn't have to keep doing this, that she had other options than a boy who clearly didn't love the real her, was the best thing she could do right now, for both Mal and herself. She couldn't go on like this, pretending that she wasn't phased by Mal always running off with Ben, and she definitely couldn't now that she recognized what was happening. And she felt that Mal shouldn't have to continue on like this, either. Mal deserved more than she was getting, more than anyone or the world could ever give her, but Evie knew that she would do everything in her ability to give her the love she deserved, something that Ben seemed unwilling to do.

            But even as she told herself this, she couldn't quite get full agreement from herself, it seemed, because even as she thought that she should tell Mal right then or just kiss her, she couldn't bring herself to make a single move.

            "I'm not sure I'm cut out for the whole _'princess_ ' life," Mal answered her question after a long moment of silence, still avoiding the real issue - but Evie could see it swirling in her eyes, and it made her partially upset with herself for bringing it up when she had been so joyful just seconds before.

            "Even if you're not, who cares what others think about your slip-ups if it's what you want," Evie stated, trying her best to not let her overwhelming emotions take control. " _Is it_?" she paused for a moment, searching Mal's eyes. "Is it what you really want, M? To be the perfect princess you always hated?"

            "I just…" but Mal didn't seem to know where she had been trying to go with her words. She took another long moment to simply look into Evie's eyes, her feet carrying her a step closer, and as pain overtook her eyes, she averted her gaze. But when she lifted her head again to meet Evie's gaze, something else entirely was swirling in her eyes - Evie saw anger there. "Why does everything always have to be _so difficult_?"

            " _Everything?_ " Evie questioned. "Or just everything with Ben?"

            Mal opened her mouth, but quickly shut it afterward, seemingly thinking better of what she had been about to say impulsively. She changed her direction. "You," she spoke softly, holding Evie's gaze, the pain and anger fading away for admiration. "With you, it's simple. I can just… be whoever I want to be. I don't need to be the clean-slated perfect princess. I can just be _me_."

            "It's always been that way," Evie said affectionately, reaching forward to tuck Mal's blonde hair behind her ear. "And it always will be, M. I…"

            But she found that she lost everything she had ever wished to say in the way Mal looked at her almost expectantly, curious and dying to hear from someone that she could always be who she is with and never be judged or hated for it. And Evie wanted to say all of that with just three words, but she couldn't, not when Mal had heard the phrase before without it meaning what she needed it to mean.

            So, all she said instead was: "Be yourself, M. It's just me."

            And with just that small amount of reassurance, Mal flicked her wrist for a ball of light to appear, hovering just above her palm before it swirled around the two of them several times and shot into the air, lighting the meadow more than the moon could. That's when the most heart-stopping smile Evie had ever seen graced Mal's features as flashing green eyes stared into the depths of reddish-brown, leaving Evie utterly speechless and without air.

            Then, she took off, and Evie could only watch as she ran around the meadow joyfully, seeming as though she couldn’t care less about the universe and its thoughts of her. She watched as Mal slowed at the other side of the meadow before crouching down to grab something, growing curious as to what she was doing. That is, until she straightened up and made her way back over to Evie, a small flower extended in her hand as she tucked it behind Evie's ear.

            "How romantic," Evie teased, reaching up to secure the flower more when Mal had lowered her hand.

            "Join me, E," Mal invited, her voice soft as she held her hand out to her.

            Not being able to keep the smile from her features, Evie grabbed Mal's hand. "I'd love to."

            And so, loving seeing this side to Mal again, her smile scrunching her nose with pure joy, Evie remained beside her for a while, never letting go of Mal's hand as they ran, twirled each other, spun in a circle together, not caring if she looked stupid doing so because she was doing it with Mal. Then, Mal grabbed her other hand and pulled her in close for a dance, and Evie couldn't quite keep her mind and her heart from racing as she looked into Mal's eyes again, the sight of them different from this close. She thought, once again, about kissing her, but she felt frozen as they stared into each other's eyes; just the sight of Mal stopped her dead in her tracks. She was helpless against her, and she hated how long it was taking her to say everything she's been dying to voice since last year.

            Not quite capable of going through with her mind's thoughts, she instead brought Mal into a hug as they continued swaying together. She smiled to herself when Mal rested her chin on her shoulder and wrapped her arms more tightly around Evie's body, almost as if she were afraid that she would fall from her grasp at any moment. Yet, only a minute later, Mal was pulling away to grab Evie's hand and take off again. But this time Evie remained where she was, letting Mal's hand slip from her grip as she moved quickly out of reach, and Mal only got a few feet away before she was slowing and turning to see why Evie's hand was no longer in hers.

            Evie couldn't take this, her inability to tell Mal what she was thinking, and she couldn't get it out of her head that all of this - the staring, the hand-holding, the dancing - meant that Mal felt something for her. She couldn't let that thought go, but she needed something else, another sign or a push, to be able to say everything she had kept inside for too long. It was obvious that Mal wouldn't do or say anything outright, not when she was with Ben - she wasn't stupid - so Evie would have to do it herself if anything were to happen to have the universe leaning more to Evie's favor; but she needed one more sign, she needed something that _screamed_ that Mal had feelings for her, too, so she wasn't just going by her own analysis of the night.

_If I do something foolish_

_If you're brave enough to stare_

_If it takes me the whole night to tell you_

_My darling, I'm going nowhere_

_A thousand miles a minute standing still_

_My every move your good looks could kill_

_If you're not going to do something stupid_

_Oh, well, I will_

            Mal watched her uncertainly, clearly wondering why she hadn't run off with her again, but she was moving closer to her without anything being said. Not knowing what she had been expecting exactly, Evie was definitely surprised when Mal removed her jacket as she approached her, only to throw it around Evie's shoulders, her hands gripping the collar as she wrapped it around Evie as much as she could without Evie putting her arms through.

            "You should have brought a jacket," Mal whispered, stopping only when she was within under a foot from Evie.

            Evie let out a light laugh as she glanced down at where Mal's hands still gripped the front of the jacket. "I was wondering when you were going to bring this up."

            Just then, Mal's watch started to beep, announcing to them and everything surrounding them that it was midnight, bringing their night-time adventure into the next day. And, strangely, Mal's hands began shaking the slightest bit as her eyes found the watch to note the time. Reaching up, Evie pressed the button to silence the watch before bringing her other hand up so she could hold both of Mal's wrists in her hands, using her eyes to ask Mal what had come over her so suddenly when their eyes locked again.

            And finally, she spoke her thoughts. "I don't want to be with Ben anymore."

            "You don't have to be," Evie said delicately, hoping to reassure the shaking girl. She brought one of her hands to caress the side of Mal's face. "You don't have to be afraid of your own desires, Mal."

            "But…" Mal swallowed forcefully, her eyes never leaving Evie's. "… what will they all say?"

            "Who cares what they'll say? It's not always about them, M, you need to think about yourself as well." Evie couldn't stand to see Mal so afraid. "If you're not happy with him, that's the only thing you need. And if they don't accept that, then screw them. You deserve to be happy, Mal."

            As Mal nodded, her gaze flickered wildly between Evie's features, causing Evie's heart to beat more furiously. Or maybe it had just stopped. Maybe everything had stopped. Suddenly, there was nothing around them, no meadow, no pond, no Auradon, it was just the two of them standing there, staring into each other's eyes. It was like nothing was moving and everything was spinning frantically at the same time, and Evie wasn't sure she could handle any of it; she wondered if Mal could feel it, too, or if she had simply gone insane. More than likely, it was just her.

            "What if what makes me happy is someone who isn't my boyfriend?"

            "Then, you take that chance," Evie answered honestly, hoping, praying, that she was doing the right thing.

            This was it, the only moment that could work. She _had_ to be able to do something now, to say something now, or she feared she would never be able to, but she still felt frozen in place by Mal's gaze. _No,_ she told herself; _no. I won't let my mind stop me from doing this. I want this._ She just had to pray that Mal wanted it too.

            Knowing that Mal would never dare to take that last jump even if it was what she wanted, Evie used that knowledge to propel herself forward. She didn't care if she was being selfish, she didn't care if she was being stupid, all she cared about was seeing if the future with Mal that she so desperately craved was finally within her reach. And so, she kissed her. Letting her hand slide back to grip the nape of her neck as Mal tilted her head to make the angle easier, more comfortable, Evie deepened their kiss, finding that now she had finally gotten a taste, she wasn't willing to give it up. But it seemed that she wouldn't have to, because Mal's hands slid into her hair as Evie deepened the kiss, pulling the slightest bit as she pressed her body into Evie's where they stood beneath the moonlight and the light Mal had produced and left suspended above them this entire time.

            It was just them. No one else existed in that moment, and Evie found herself not caring if she had to spend the rest of her life with Mal being the only other occupant of the earth - Mal was everything she needed.

            Sure, kissing Mal while she was still with Ben was bordering idiotic and crazy, but with everything that had happened to lead to this moment, with the knowledge that Mal had been being abused in their relationship and Ben hadn't seemed to notice or care, she didn't mind if she was insane for taking that advantage; she would allow herself to be considered stupid, if that were the resulting judgement of her actions. Mal was with her and she was herself, not some faux princess vying for a stuck-up person's approval, and she was _happy_. That was enough, and had ultimately been the reasoning that gave Evie the courage she had needed to finally reveal her feelings.

            If there was courage in stupidity, then maybe they needed more of it.

_When Sunday turns to Monday_

_And your hands start to shake at the sound_

_Am I crazy? Did you notice?_

_The way that everything's frozen in the moment_

_We're going a thousand miles a minute standing still_

_My every move your good looks could kill_

_If you're not going to do something stupid_

_Oh, well, I will_


End file.
